High-pressure health plans. Insurers accused of courting seniors too aggressively.
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Aged↗
Biomedical subjects
Laura B Benko
Publications and source records attributed to Laura B Benko.
Boomer bust? While hospitals increase capacity to prepare for an onslaught of aging baby boomers, some say medical advances and health awareness mean those extra beds will stay empty.
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Acute Disease↗
They've got the blues. N.C. Blues abandons for-profit conversion plan; fines likely at CareFirst.
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Administrative Personnel↗
Mixed reaction. Molina's IPO goes well, but not all observers cheer.
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California↗
Emotional rescue. Calif. patients say hospitals do well but want more emotional support.
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California↗
Voluntary problems. While California's PEP-C patient survey gains momentum, hospitals often aren't willing to participate in the quality gauge.
A voluntary survey of California patients' feelings about their hospital care is drawing wider support, even though half of the state's facilities still are not signing up. The Patients' Evaluation of Performance in California results help consumers make the difficult decision of where to seek care.
California↗
Leaky umbrella. Medi-Cal patients fight for access to care, physicians, new studies show.
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Attitude of Health Personnel↗
Curtain falls. CareFirst settlement dims hope for Blues conversions.
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Blue Cross Blue Shield Insurance Plans↗
Workforce report 2003. Ratio daze in California. State staffing law may exacerbate nursing shortfall.
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California↗
WellPoint eyes merger, again.
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Blue Cross Blue Shield Insurance Plans↗
A rewarding relationship. Hospitals and docs are seeing more of their pay tied to performance based on quality measures and other contractual objectives.
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Hospital Administration↗
Legal payback? Ruling could force hospitals to give back lien funds.
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California↗
Casualty of war. Hospitals jeopardized by insurance company's fallout.
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Bankruptcy↗
Price check. Urged by union, CalPERS investigates alleged overpricing at Sutter's northern Calif. hospitals.
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California↗
Dodging a bullet. Rulings limit punitive damages, uphold arbitration.
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Compensation and Redress↗
Universal appeal. Although there's strong consensus on the need to provide healthcare coverage for all Americans, that's where the agreement ends.
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Attitude to Health↗
Willing and able. Supreme Court ruling forces HMOs to open networks to any willing provider; some say it may wound managed-care industry.
In a decision some say could help end traditional managed care, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states have the power to force HMOs to open their networks to any healthcare provider willing to abide by the plans' terms. Elizabeth Johnson, left, counsel for the Kentucky Department of Insurance, says the decision will let states take on key healthcare issues that Congress has never been able to resolve.
Contracts↗
Trying new solutions. Consumer-driven health plans aim to make patients frugal shoppers. Critics say the plans are steering Americans toward even higher costs.
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Consumer Behavior↗